Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Planning Commission Follies

NO CHOICE!Gee, I'm not sure what was more fun Monday night - watching Tom Brady surgically slice and dice the Dolphins (517 yards passing - nearly 400 in the first half!) - or watching the Planning Commission meeting - NOT!

I WATCHED ENOUGH...I confess I didn't spend too much time watching the Planning Commission, choosing, instead to watch one of the most fantastic games any quarterback has ever played, but did catch enough snippets of it to make a couple observations.

WHATCHA EATIN', JIMBO?First, I don't know what Mr. Green - commissioner Jimmy (Fitzy) Fitzpatrick - was nibbling on all night, but someone should remind him that, 1) food is prohibited in council chambers except for water and, 2) munching whatever it was on the dais looks bad and is just plain bad manners! Good grief! It's no wonder he's getting to be built more like me (and Shrek) every day!

NO PARKING - ANYWHERE!The low point for me was the discussion, led by Chairman Colin McCarthy, about clamping down on anyone, anywhere in the city who parks a "commercial vehicle" on the city streets overnight. No, he doesn't mean big rigs - cargo tractors, dump trucks, etc. Nope, he means the work trucks owned by practically every small tradesman in the city - carpenters, electricians, plumbers, gardeners, contractors, etc. He's apparently personally offended that those hardworking folks would dare to park the tools of their livelihood on the street beside their homes.

TEMIANKA AS SCROOGEThis is getting to be a habit with the sycophants of the current council majority. Last month Parks and Recreation Commissioner Ethan Temianka - Mayor Pro Tem Jim Righeimer's campaign aid - announced that he wanted have the staff study what other cities do - and what it would take for Costa Mesa - to restrict "playing" in our parks to groups of 5 or more without a permit. Yep, he wants to forbid five members of a family from throwing a Frisbee around in any of our parks without a permit. No pick-up games of Over the Line - nothing recreational for a group of five or more without a permit. No sack races on Mother's Day or touch football games on Father's Day. No fun...

SUCKING THE FUN OUT OF LIFEIt seems to me that Righeimer and Steve Mensinger's mantra about wanting to attract young families to our city somehow managed to miss the mark with some of their lemmings. What young family wants to move to a city that is institutionally sucking all the fun out of life here? Not many.

33 Comments:

Danny Boy's Wife said...

Whoa there! I thought Costa Mesa and the GOP run Planning Commission was elected to serve all citizens? My mistake- only the white collar residents. To dismiss the public who "works" physically for a living using the skills they honed or went to trade school for is unreal. These hardworking individuals are keeps this city working- literally. I will make sure to spread this news to my neighbors, friends and co-workers along with the ridiculous shutting out of large groups ( 5 or more ridiculous) in the park- I will make sure all these bozos (PC AND CC) never set foot in the dais again. Also, please tell me you were joking about ole' PC Chair eating and munching at the dais.. what a disgrace. These bozos think this is a MAN CAVE..

Well I can tell you for a fact that HB and FV don't. At least not that I have ever experienced while at their parks with large groups. Doesn't the city have a summer camp group? Do they just automatically have a permit if they choose to go their local park?

As someone who has fought being overweight his whole life, I empathize with Fitzpatrick. But every time I've seen him live this year he's looked unkempt. Is he having personal problems?Eating on the dais is not only a violation of the rules, it's RUDE.

Maybe this is just part of the "F You" attitude of the Riggy Nationalist Party:

"We'll text on the dais, rant at citizens from the dais, lie from the dais, eat on the dais, and if you don't like it, F you."

Joe, As you know, I, too, deal with weight and can nibble with the best of them. However, munching on the dais is unacceptable. There's a sign right beside the main entrance door at council chambers that tells all who enter that food is prohibited in the auditorium. Just another example of "the rules are for others" attitude that permeates the council majority and their buddies.

Pot Stirrer, so you would have no problem with people parking their work trucks in front of your house every day? How about if your neighbor ran a plumbing or landscaping business and parked his company trucks (some park as many as four company trucks on Costa Mesa residential streets nightly) on your street every day. Not in their own driveway, but on the street.

Curious,As a matter of fact, for most of the 38 years I've lived in my house my neighbor - a plumber in this city for almost 50 years - did exactly that! He ran his business out of his house and, while he has plenty of property, frequently his truck or those used by his employees or other contractors would be on the street across from our house and on my side of the street, too. Would we have preferred they NOT be there? Sure. But, in the interest of neighborliness, we were tolerant of them - and they of us for our foibles, too. That's how it's supposed to work, isn't it?

So Colon doesn't want us to park a pickup truck on a public street or our own property and boy wonder wants to prohibit playing in a park....How much longer will we allow ourselves to be bullied by the corrupt council and their equally corrupt cronies they have appointed to the various commissions?They don't listen and don't care about what the community wants.

Also curious,Seems like that would fit under McCarthy's umbrella of "commercial vehicles.

My Opinon (did you misspell that on purpose?)

I pick on Jimmy Fitzy because he makes it so darn easy. And, did you not read my post? I'm concerned about the proposed policy to ban trades-persons work trucks from city streets and Temianka's proposal to require a permit for 5 or more people trying to play in the park. Guess you read only what you choose, then send misspelled criticisms here, huh? And still, you're welcome here...

The Planning Commission & CC need to take a good look at CM apartment owners/property managers that knowingly & habitually lease units to multiple-car families when their building/property only provides one parking-space per unit.

For example, in Westside CM, the Sea Breeze Apartments & Foxhollow Townhome Apts. do not provide enough parking spaces within the large rental complex for their residents. So their tenants habitually park their cars & light-duty work trucks a block away, on Meyer Place at Wilson St. and all along Joann St. where loud car alarms, blaring stereos, unlawful car maintenence/repairs & loitering in cars (i.e sex acts) etc. are daily annoyances that we YOUNG HOMEOWNERS WITH CHILDREN should not have to endure! These two lucrative real-estate businesses are directly affecting the SFR homeowners once quiet and clean neighborhood.

The street sweeping schedules only exacerbate the situation because cars don't move until Tuesdays or Thursdays, or when fed-up longtime homeowners call the City to complain (of course 72 hours later!) to "mark abandoned vehicles".

Geoff, My Opinon is CM Optimist on the Daily Pilot. Spelling and grammar are not his strong points. Have you read some of his rants? They do not have much substance or understanding of the issues. It is not worth the effort to explain things to him at least in my opinion.

I sometimes post on the DP and sometimes I post on CM Press but I never post on your blog because I just plain don't like you. Not that the other guy is filled with love, but you sir are far worse. I find myself agreeing with most of the other guy's positions (except for the race topic) because many of his ideas make a lot of sense. But to me, your positions are always so far out in "left field", I rarely agree with you.

Not that you actually care what I think but Mr. West, you seem to be so full of hate, anger and disgust for our city officials. As a result, I have a hard time taking you take seriously. Your personal attacks are little more than a comedy routine that has become expected and predictable. You are so clouded by your harsh judgments, you rarely see the good in our leaders. You have literally made it your mission in life to tear down our leaders who simply have more conservative opinions than you. I find your name calling repulsive and reminiscent of my youth in grade school. Your mean spirited approach to making changes in our city is counterproductive and you literally offer nothing for our city except your contempt for its leaders.

End of rant.

On a positive note, unlike the other guy, you don't appear to censor posts that are critical of you or don't fit your opinion. So if I read this post on your blog, it will confirm my theory beyond my expectations.

Mark G.,Thanks for your frank opinion. Your view is yours and mine is mine. You'll notice at the top of the home page it clearly states that these are my opinions. More important, though, I'm trying to provide a space where folks can debate an issue with at least a little civility - no profanity, for example. Occasionally something will slip through, but I think you'll agree that most of the threads found here come close to meeting that objective. I'll do the name-calling here...

I do read that other guy. I understand his motivation, which any honest reader of his crap simply must acknowledge. I've read most of his essays on the New Nation News site going back a dozen years. It's akin to standing over a rotting corpse, but I think it's important to understand what's in the mind of an opponent. I don't write about him anymore, but did in the early days of this blog. Go to the archives linked on the home page if you care to read my views of him - they have not changed.

Whether you continue to read what appears here or not is entirely up to you. If you choose to participate in the discussions or not is also up to you.

This city council is out of control. Why is that Colin guy involved in the city government AT ALL? They make no attempt to hide their white collar snobbery and yet act like board freshman during detention. I hold on to the fact that they will be so out of here after the next election, which can't be soon enough, and will be replaced by both men and women who will repair their damage. I know they swooped into Costa Mesa assuming that since it's so conservative here, they'd be met with open arms. Instead both white and blue collars residents rejected them and their policies of greed and hate. I just hope they don't completely pillage the city before they go.

Geoff, in our many open and private conversations you have never demonstrated any of the traits HomE-G suggests. Funny thing is, he think by attacking you personally with polite words and phrasing; then constantly justifying and then apologizing for what he said, makes his opinon (ILMAO) of you a “little more correct”.

Hey Mark -

IT’S NOT ALWAYS ABOUT THE WHAT… BUT IT’S ALWAYS ABOUT THE H-O-W!!!!!!!!

Costa Mesa has serious parking problems that dramatically impact homeowners and property values. Many homes for sale on the streets off Wilson suffer from the heavy impact of apartment overflow. No one wants to buy a house that has zero curb parking along the block.

When garages are routinely used as illegal living spaces, and the apartments themselves used as virtual dormitories, housing multiple families and their cars, it is the SFR neighborhoods that suffer.

The only options are permit parking, aggressive citation and towing and new city programs to address the illegal use of garages as living spaces.

If history is any guide, each of those proposals - the only ones that will work - will be met with howls of protest by the public. Will you support the council efforts then?

e... interesting shorthand for a pen name... you now hold the record here..

My comments about Jimmy Fitzy was about him munching during the proceedings. And, yes, I can tease him about his girth since I fight the same battle each day.

Ten years - when he and I began writing opposing viewpoints on issues in this community. I find his well-documented views on race in our society repugnant and they seem to form the foundation for almost all he says and does.

Nah, I'm always a wonderful, caring guy - ask my neighbors and family. I'm just ticked off at what is being done to our city to satisfy the political aspirations of a carpetbagging opportunist with no ties to this town. Thanks for asking.

Question?,I accept the assumptions posed in your first three paragraphs. Yes, we have a parking problem throughout the city, not only in residential areas, but in most of the strip malls around the city that are notoriously under-parked. Yes, we have garages used for storage and bootleg dwelling units. Yes, property values suffer - even more than the economy alone is already causing - when there is no parking available to residents. Yes, permit parking and aggressive enforcement efforts are important. Yes, we have apartment buildings that are overcrowded.

I don't accept your broad assumption that anything the council might propose in the future will be acceptable. We'll have to see what they are, and whether they are too extreme for the circumstances. If you look at the campaign contributions that have been provided by apartment associations and owners you may get a clue as to why enforcement of occupancy codes are being ignored.

Look at our parks, but dont use them, because we are laying off all the employees who tend them... So I would have to get a permit to take my family of 6 to the park? Thank god I am on the east side and can cross the street to family friendly Newport Beach.

Maybe fisty has dysglycemia or other BS (blood sugar) issues. Losing weight and excercising in said parks and laying off complex carbs (lies) helps.

As far as the blue collars parking their pickup trucks on the street. My neighbor has two, he hasnt been working much as we all know work is slim for these guys. He keeps the trucks in front of his house and is neighborly enough to keep to his property. When his workers come to get a truck they take that trucks spot. No neighbor has complained. My dad is a commercial contractor and has had to park his dump truck with a back hoe on a trailor overnight, never in front of our house but on the side street that did not obstruct parking or traffic. Never more than 12 hours and maybe once or twice a year. This type equipment should be the same as RV code. But leave the blue collar workers alone, besides Riggy may need them for the homeless hotel by the airport... oh wait he wont hire a CM resident

Its simple people. The scum on both the council and planning commission hate mexicans playing soccer. Do you think they will ever shut down a soccer game where theres 4 white adults with their 4 kids? The answer is no.

They also hate the working class who work with tools. They already have codes for marked trucks the plumber drives. They want to go after the working man with a truck that has toolboxes and ladders. Can you believe that?

The scum on planning commission and council must go. Something has to change and people need to wake up and vote at city elections. 14,000 votes people is all it took ourlt of our population of 117,000 for carpetbagger pigheimer to get into office!!!

Wake up people- It's not hatred it's respect.. The rules and regulations governing this city are going out the window. From decorating the 5th Floor Lobby, (Decorator was back this week going over the details with Gofer Dan), with taxpayer's money, to illegally contracting services, to eating on the dais.. RULES... from small to large are meant to be followed by everyone..

Links to this post:

About Me

REGISTRATION REQUIRED TO COMMENT
* To register, email to thepotstirer@earthlink.net :
* Pen name, (do not use "Anonymous") full name, valid email address and telephone number
* 1 pen name per person. Don't use another persons proper name.
* Comments without prior registration will be rejected - NO EXCEPTIONS
* Details at http://bit.ly/16kGDVh